Grace
by suicidalunicorn97
Summary: Dean discovers that he has a daughter. A story of two broken souls healing each other.
1. The News

"Sam, are you sure you're okay?" Dean asked again.

"Yes, I'm sure. That's like the fifth time you've asked." Sam leaned back against the seat. "I'm just tired."

"Yeah, ganking a Hell Hound as part of a weird set of Godly trials will do that to you." Dean paused. "You know, we could always find another of Crowley's bitches, and I could-"

"No. I've already started, I'm gonna finish this out to the end. Besides, we don't even know what the next Trial will be. Kevin's still working on it."

Dean frowned. "Alright, but you gotta be honest with me, man. If you're not okay, you need to tell me."

* * *

After a whole day of driving, they reached the bunker around 5. Dean had to admit, it felt nice to have a place to call home.

"Hello, Dean."

The brothers nearly jumped out of their skin as they walked into the main room and found Cas sitting at the table.

"Sorry," He apologized.

"Good to see you too, Cas." Sam mumbled.

"Sam, I'm glad to see you survived the first trial."

"Why wouldn't he?" Dean asked suspiciously.

"No reason. Sometimes these things tend to...take a lot out of a human." Cas said, looking the younger Winchester over. "Your soul seems to be weary."

"I'm fine."

"Good." Cas turned his gaze to Dean. "We need to talk."

Dean raised an eyebrow. This couldn't be good. "Yeah, okay. What is it?" He sat across from Cas.

Sam started to leave the room, but Cas quickly stopped him. "You can stay too, you'll probably want to hear this."

"What's going on?"

"I...have a confession to make. There's something I've been keeping from you."

"Dammit, Cas...what now?" Dean rubbed his temples.

"Do you remember Anna?"

Dean blinked. "Uh, yeah. Fallen angel, got her grace back, went psycho, tried to kill Sam?"

"Yes. There is...more to the story than that." Cas looked down, almost appearing guilty.

"Well, spit it out."

"You and Anna had intercourse the night before she reclaimed her grace."

"Okay, I think I'm gonna-" Sam stood, looking uncomfortable.

"Wait, Sam. This concerns you too."

He reluctantly returned to his seat.

"You impregnated her, Dean."

"I...what?" Dean's eyes widened with shock.

"When she recovered her grace, it sped the process along. Why do you think she disappeared for 7 months after that?"

"No...I...just assumed she was on the run from the God Squad..."

"She was. But she was also carrying your child. She knew it would make her a bigger target, so after giving birth, she took the baby to a place she thought was safe. After I let you out of the Panic room, Sam...when you were detoxing from the demon blood...Anna came to confront me about it. I...I turned her in. She was captured." Cas looked away. "I didn't know about her daughter. But Uriel quickly found out, and exploited it to manipulate Anna into joining them. However, when she found out that they were planning to let the Apocalypse happen, she went rogue again, and tried to kill Sam to prevent it from happening. We all know how that turned out."

Cas took a deep breath before continuing. "After Anna's death, I felt...guilt. It was something I'd never felt before. It was my fault; I'd separated a mother from her child. I stole the baby from Heaven to keep her safe, and I took her somewhere no angel or demon would ever find her. Gabriel helped me; he had a child with a human too, almost 50 years ago. He showed me where his daughter, Ruth, was hidden, and we placed your child in her care. She was safe there...until yesterday."

"Wait, so you're telling me...I...I have a daughter?" Dean was in shock. "Why didn't you tell me? Where is she? What happened, why isn't she safe anymore?"

"I thought it was for the best. You were busy with the Apocalypse, and-"

"What about afterwards? You could have told me anytime between then and now, and you didn't!" Dean shouted.

"I...thought I was doing the right thing. The place I took her to was heavily warded, and I presumed she would be safer there."

"Okay, well if it was so _safe_ , what happened?"

"I don't know how, but a faction of angels found Ruth. Nephilim are considered an abomination, so she was killed. Before she died, she was able to send me an SOS. I came immediately and was able to destroy them before they could harm your child."

"Where is she?" Dean asked, a mix of emotions on his face.

"I brought her here, the safest place I could think of. She's in one of the bedrooms."

"Holy shit." Sam ran a hand through his hair. "This is unbelievable."

"You're telling me." Dean suddenly looked very pale. "What am I gonna do? How...how do you take care of an Angel kid?"

"Similar to human genetics, it's a toss-up on what the child will inhereit from each parent. Every Nephil is unique, and presents with a different set of abilities. Some take after their human parent, and have no angelic powers at all. Your daughter seems to be more human than angel; she ages normally, and requires nourishment. I have yet to discover all of what she is capable of."

"I have...I have a daughter..." Dean started to hyperventilate, remembering his encounter with the Amazon woman. He'd fathered a child then too. Emma. He briefly reflected on the irony that both his children had been half supernatural beings. "Shit, that poor kid."

"Breathe, Dean." Sam touched his shoulder. "Cas, did she see...everything?"

"You mean the murder of her caretaker? No. Ruth told her to hide as soon as the angels came to the door."

"Good." Dean exhaled shakily. "Umm...can I meet her? Does she even wanna see me? Does she know who I am?"

"Ruth told her the truth about her parents, so yes. She knows who you are." Cas got up. "Are you ready to meet her?"

Dean slowly stood, feeling weak in the knees. A million things were going through his mind. The one question he managed to ask aloud was, "What's her name?"

"Anna chose the name 'Grace'." Cas replied, giving a small smile. "Not very original, but a beautiful name all the same."

" _Grace_..." Dean repeated. "God, I can't believe it." He laughed, voice trembling. "Take me to her."


	2. Meeting Grace

Cas led them to the bedroom next to Dean's.

"Hey, you okay?" Sam asked. His brother hovered in front of the closed door with a look of terror on his face.

"Um, not really." Dean laughed nervously as Cas slowly pushed the door open.

"I'll ask her if she's ready to meet you." Cas said, stepping inside.

Dean exhaled shakily. He'd been in life-or-death situations before, and somehow this was one of the most frightening things he'd ever experienced. How was he gonna give this little girl the life she deserved?

Cas emerged a few moments later, with a smile on his face. He nodded at Dean. "You can go in now," He turned to Sam. "I would suggest you wait out here. She's a little shy."

"Of course." Sam looked to his brother. "You gonna be okay?"

"Y-yeah." Dean stuttered, not very convincingly. He took a deep breath, and walked into the room.

* * *

A little girl, _his little girl,_ stood in the center of the room. Emerald eyes stared up at him, wide with uncertainty. There was no doubt this child was his; the intense green eyes, the light freckles that were scattered over her nose and cheeks...It was almost trippy. She had her mother's red-wine colored hair, however. It came to her shoulders and fell in wisps around her face, almost like she was trying to hide behind it.

"Hey," He said softly, crouching to her level. Her jade eyes never left his. "Do you know who I am?"

"You're Dean." Her voice was quiet. "My dad."

He swallowed hard. Never did he think someone would be calling him 'Dad'. It felt strange. "Yeah...that's right. And your name is Grace? That's a really pretty name."

She nodded. "Can I call you Daddy?" She asked timidly, playing with the hem of her navy-blue sundress.

"Of course, Sweetheart." Dean's heart was pounding in his chest. It felt like he was being torn apart by joy and pain at the same time. This was love, unlike anything he'd felt before.

She stepped closer, studying his face. He felt nervous, almost like she was reading his mind _._ He tried to calm his racing thoughts. "S-so, how old are you?" He managed to ask.

"Five. My birthday is December 5th." She answered softly.

Dean's eyes widened slightly. "That's my mom's birthday." He said with a surprised smile.

Grace returned his smile for the first time, her lips turning up slightly. She shuffled closer to him and hesitantly reached out, raising her little hand to his face. He stood very still as her eyes swept over him, her feather-light touch brushing across his own freckles.

He hoped she couldn't feel him trembling. God, she looked so fragile. She was small for a five year old, and she'd definitely inherited her mother's slender frame. Her pale skin was soft, and Dean had a fleeting thought that _how could something so perfect possibly be his?_

* * *

 ** _Hey, readers :) I hope you're enjoying the story so far, Dad!Dean is one of my weaknesses. Please leave a review and let me know how I'm doing! Also, if there's anything in particular you want to see happen in the next chapter, send me the idea! Thanks for reading!_**


	3. Change is Hard

Sam and Cas stood just outside the door, peeking in. They'd discreetly left it open a couple inches so they could watch. Peering through the gap, they could see Dean crouching in front of his daughter, staring at her with a mixture of fear and wonder.

Sam felt a lump rise in his throat when the small child quietly asked if she could call Dean "Daddy". His brother had always wanted kids, despite the façade of being happily single and forever on the road.

"We should give them some privacy." Cas whispered, backing away.

"Uh, yeah, sure." Sam stepped away from the tender scene, and they made their way to the kitchen. "So, you said she has to eat, right?"

"Yes."

"Hmm..." The younger Winchester opened the fridge and cringed inwardly. Beer and hot dogs. They really needed to do some grocery shopping. "When was the last time she ate?"

"I gave her a Hot Dog around noon."

Sam frowned. "I'm gonna run to the store. What else does she need? Did she pack a bag?"

"We left in a hurry, for fear of other angels making an appearance. I had her fill a bag with clothing, but I forgot her toothbrush." Cas said apologetically.

"That's okay. I'll get her a new one." Sam grabbed the keys and headed out.

* * *

Curious as to how Dean was doing, Cas returned to watch. He looked through the opening, and couldn't help but smile. Dean and Grace were sitting on the bed, and the girl was showing him her stuffed bear. Other than clothes, it was the only thing she'd brought with them. She clung to it like a lifeline the whole time they were traveling.

"His name is Teddy." She was telling Dean.

"That's, uh, that's a good name." He chuckled. "Hey, do you wanna go meet your Uncle Sam?"

The smile on her face faded, and she clutched the bear to her chest. "I don't know." She said quietly.

"Hey, that's okay." Dean said quickly. "I'm sure all this is weird and scary. Take your time."

Grace nodded somberly. "Where's Uncle Cas?"

"Uncle...?"

Castiel took this as his cue to walk in. He knocked softly, announcing his presence. The little girl was jumpy, and he didn't want to scare her even more. "Anna was technically my sister, so I guess it makes me Grace's uncle." Cas wasn't sure how he felt about the unfamiliar title.

Dean nodded. "Makes sense."

"How are you doing, Grace?" Cas sat on the other side of her.

She seemed to retreat further into herself. "Fine." She squeaked.

Cas felt bad. He hadn't meant to crowd her. He stood back up, walking to the door. "Sam went shopping, he said he would be back soon. I'll be in the library if you need anything.

* * *

As Castiel left, Dean tried to ease the awkward silence. "So...do you like this room? It could be yours."

She nodded, but didn't say anything.

"And uh, it looks like you've got a bag packed, you wanna put your clothes in the closet?" Dean looked around. The room was great for a Man of Letters, but for a little girl? The walls were a boring off-white, and the only furniture was the bed, nightstand, a desk, and a chest of drawers.

"No," She said simply. "I want to go home." Her lips trembled slightly.

"Aw sweetheart..." Dean didn't know what to say. "I know, but it's not safe there anymore. This is your home now."

"I miss Ruth." Grace's eyes filled with tears, and Dean felt his heart break.

"Hey, hey...it's okay." He gently pulled her onto his lap, and held her while she cried. He could feel her thin frame shaking with sobs. He wanted nothing more than to take the pain away, and right now he felt very inadequate. The poor girl had been through so much. He was hardly qualified to be a father, and he had no idea how to make her feel better. So he did the only thing he could; enfolded her in a loving embrace, and hugged her until the sobs died down to sniffles. "It's gonna be okay." He murmured. "I'm gonna make it okay."


	4. Like Father Like Daughter

Dean didn't try to get Grace to talk. He knew from experience that she would open up when she was ready. So he did the talking for her. She sat in silence as he prattled on about various topics, watching him with an almost eerie intensity in those bright green eyes.

"I, uh, I like classic rock. Skynyrd, Def Leppard, Zepplin..."

"I like Elvis." She said softly.

Dean smiled. "Yeah, Elvis is great, isn't he?" He kept talking, and little by little, Grace volunteered tidbits about herself. He discovered that her favorite color was blue, she loved to draw, and she hated carrots.

"Do you like Pie?"

She grinned. "It's my favorite food."

He beamed proudly. "Atta girl. What kind do you like best?"

"Cherry."

"Me too!"

Suddenly her stomach made a rumbling noise, and she looked down sheepishly.

"You hungry? I guess all this talk about food doesn't help." Dean laughed. "Come on, let's go see what we have."

Grace hugged her bear anxiously.

"It's okay, Teddy can come."

She nodded, and Dean felt joy over the small victory as his daughter let him take her hand and lead her out of the room. Everything about this felt surreal, and he wondered if it was all a dream. Part of him hoped he would wake up. This was a huge responsibility, and he didn't know how he was gonna do it. Grace deserved a normal life, and he couldn't give that to her. But at the same time...he would be disappointed if it wasn't real. He'd always wanted kids. If he waited for the ideal time...well, it'd never happen. He felt extremely protective of the little girl already, and his heart was full of a love he didn't know he was capable of. She _needed_ him.

"Hey, guys." They walked into the kitchen, where Sam and Cas were putting away groceries. "Thanks for making a run. I know we were getting kinda low on food."

"Yeah, no problem. So...this is Grace." Sam smiled at the little girl, and Dean picked her up so she wouldn't feel so intimidated by Sam's size.

"This is your uncle Sammy. He's my brother."

"It's nice to meet you, Grace." Sam couldn't believe how much she looked like Dean. When they were watching from the doorway, he'd instantly noticed the resemblance to Anna, in her copper-colored hair and slender build. But now that he was seeing her up close, he could tell that she had his brother's eyes, and freckles. Even the shape of her face, nose, lips...it was all Dean.

Grace smiled shyly back at him.

"So, you hungry? I uh, wasn't sure what you liked, so I kind of bought...everything." Sam laughed awkwardly. "We've got cereal..." He opened the cupboard to reveal different types of sugary cereals. "And, um...hot dogs, burritos, Mac and Cheese, salad..." He grinned when she wrinkled her nose at his last suggestion. "I guess you take after Dean in that respect too."

"Damn straight." Dean said proudly.

"Language." Sam raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, shit. I mean, uh, dang straight. Crap." Dean turned red. He was gonna have to make a few adjustments to his life (Understatement), and apparently language was one of them.

Grace giggled at her flustered father. "Mac and Cheese." She said quietly.

"Alright, Yellow Death it is."

It was Dean's turn to glare. "Aw, come on, just cause you don't like it-"

"It was all we ate when we were kids, Dean." Sam made a face.

"That's cause it's good!"

Sam cringed. "Whatever."

Grace watched their interactions with a curious smile, clearly amused by their antics. It was similar to how Cas looked at them. Sam started boiling water, and Dean set his daughter down at the table. It was then that he realized she was much too short to reach.

"Cas, could you grab a few books from the library?"

"Which ones?" Cas tilted his head in confusion.

"Doesn't mater. Just make 'em kinda big, Grace needs something to sit on so she can reach the table."

"Ohh." Cas said, finally understanding. He left the room, quickly returning with a few large books. Dean lifted Grace up, and they stacked the paperbacks up until she could comfortably reach the table.

Sam set the Mac and Cheese in front of her, and she started eating as if she was starving, forgetting her shyness for a moment.

"Geez, she can really put it away. Remind you of anyone?" Sam smirked.

"Shut up." Dean punched his brother, but there was no real weight behind it. It seemed like everything Grace did was a reminder she was _his._


	5. Bedtime

After Grace finished eating, she yawned. "You tired?" Dean asked. She nodded. "Alright, let's get you to bed." She reached out to him, and Dean felt his heart flutter. She was definitely warming up to him. He picked her up, and started to leave the room.

"Wait," Sam reached into another grocery bag. "Here." He handed Dean a toothbrush. "Cas forgot to have her pack one." He explained.

"Thanks."

* * *

Dean helped her brush her teeth, and gave her some privacy as she got her Pajamas on.

She climbed into bed, and Dean reached over to turn off the lamp.

"No!" She cried out, panic entering her voice. Her small hand shot out to grab his wrist.

"Okay, okay..." Dean pulled his hand back. "Lights on, I get it."

"I'm afraid of the dark." She whispered.

"Aw," Dean frowned, not sure what to say. He wasn't about to tell her there was nothing to be afraid of in the dark, because that sure as hell wasn't true. "It's okay, you're safe here. " He finally settled on. That was true. This place was warded against all evil. "Nothing can hurt you here."

She nodded, but didn't look convinced.

"It's okay, I'll leave it on." He said. The fear slowly left her face, and he started to stand up.

"Wait," She said, looking anxious. "Ruth used to sing to me? Will you sing?" She asked quietly.

"Of course." Dean was taken aback, and struggled to think of an appropriate song. "Get comfortable, lay down. You can't fall asleep sitting up. Well, you can, but it causes all sorts of back problems, and.." He trailed off as he realized he was babbling. Grace didn't seem bothered, burrowing into the covers and getting comfortable.

God, it had been forever since he'd done this. He hadn't sung a child to sleep since...well, Sammy.

" _Hey Jude, don't make it bad,_  
 _Take a sad song and make it better..._  
 _Remember to let her into your heart,_  
 _Then you can start to make it better."_

As Dean sang, he felt a lump rise in his throat. His own mother used to sing this song to him. It would always hold a special place in his heart. It seemed to have an effect on Grace as well. She was visibly relaxing, eyes half-open.

" _Hey Jude, don't be afraid._  
 _You were made to go out and get her,_  
 _The minute you let her under your skin,_  
 _Then you begin to make it better._

 _And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain_  
 _Don't carry the world upon your shoulders,_  
 _For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool,_  
 _By making his world a little colder"_

Grace was asleep by the second verse. As he watched her sleeping peacefully, he was again struck by how small she seemed, especially in this huge bed. She seemed so fragile. He would do anything to keep her safe.

He gently pressed a kiss to her forehead before carefully standing and walking to the door. He left the lamp on, and the door cracked open slightly.

Dean walked to the kitchen on wobbly legs. He wasn't used to feeling _so much._ He wasn't even sure what he was feeling, just that it was overwhelming.

"Hey," Sam greeted him, but was ignored as Dean walked directly to the fridge for a beer. He watched with amusement as his brother proceeded to chug the entire thing. "You okay?"

"No." Dean said simply, sitting down across from Sam. "Where's Cas?"

"Not here. He left, said he had some things to take care of."

"Hmm." Dean put his head down.

"Dude, relax."

"How?" Dean lifted his head to glare at Sam. "I have a kid, Sam. What am I supposed to do? How can I...How can I be who she needs? I don't want her raised in this shit like we were."

"It'll be okay, we'll figure something out. Maybe we could have Mrs. Tran babysit her while we're on hunts."

"And what about the rest of the time? I have no idea how to be a father."

"You did alright with me." Sam said quietly. "You practically raised me."

"And look how you turned out." Dean mumbled. "No offense."

Sam laughed. "That wasn't your fault. The universe kinda just conspired against me to make my life hell."

"Amen."

"Look, you're great with kids. She already worships you, I can tell. We'll figure out how to make this work."

"I just wanna do right by her, Sammy. She deserves so much better." Dean sighed, a moment of raw honesty that surprised Sam.

"Despite what you think, you're actually a great guy, Dean."

"Ha!" He laughed.

"I'm serious! Jerk."

"Bitch."

Sam grinned. "That's another thing you're gonna have to watch."

"Aw, dammit." Dean muttered.

Sam punched him. "See what I mean?"

"Shut up, she's asleep. I'll watch my language tomorrow."

* * *

 **Hey guys, I just remembered that Dean has sung a child to sleep since Sammy. When he was with Lisa and Ben, he mentioned babysitting Lisa's niece. Also there was the Shapeshifter baby. But I forgot about it til I finished the chapter, so I'm just gonna leave it the way it is. Sorry.**


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